


underneath

by isloremipsumafterall



Category: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-09
Updated: 2016-08-09
Packaged: 2018-08-07 18:45:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7725625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/isloremipsumafterall/pseuds/isloremipsumafterall
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>au where Tasha lived and was just out on disability for a few years, when she comes back it's right on time to be backup for Deanna on a mission to infiltrate a Romulan faction. A lot has changed between the two of them but the underlying affection they have for each other isn't one of them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	underneath

Tasha tugged once more at her ears, in a far different shape than she was normally used to. Next to her Deanna raised her hand and gently pulled it away and down to Deanna’s side without even looking. Since her return to the Enterprise after being away on disability for so many years by far the strangest thing she’d come back to was Deanna’s adaptation to being undercover.

 

She’d heard about a situation with Romulans and Deanna though had yet to get the full story. It was still clear to see that it had affected Deanna and she comforted herself with the knowledge that this time Deanna wouldn’t be alone and had her.

 

“We should be going,” Deanna ended her conversation with the local Romulans on the planet and began walking back towards the hovel they had rented.

 

“Get anything?” Tasha asked, stepping side by side with Deanna and to someone on the outside who saw them they may have looked like a couple with their hands still joined and Tasha whispering in her ear.

 

“There may be a gathering later this week,” Deanna murmured, her gaze only flickering towards Tasha before she looked straight ahead, every version of a proper sub-commander who hadn’t the time for any distractions.

 

It was so far away from Deanna’s normally cheerful face that Tasha shuddered and couldn’t wait to get to their hovel. At least there she’d have a better chance of seeing Deanna smiling again.

 

“I can’t wait till this is over.” Tasha said after doing a cursory sweep of their place for any listening devices or spy gear.

 

“Neither can I,” Deanna’s voice wasn’t as cold anymore, more in tune to the melodious warm voice that Tasha associated with her. “Are you feeling all right, I sensed something from you back there.”

 

“I’m fine,” Tasha sat down in the chair across from Deanna and once more tugged on her ears uncomfortably, “I’m more worried about you.”

 

Deanna’s lips curled upwards, finally into a genuine smile and she laughed, “This isn’t the first time I’ve done this.” Her smile didn’t reach her eyes however and Tasha noticed with a frown.

 

“Deanna…I know it’s been a long time since we’ve seen each other,” Nearly seven years, Tasha had counted them, “But I’d like to think we’re still friends.”

 

“Of course,” Deanna looked taken aback at the suggestion they weren’t, her brow furrowing and it just didn’t look right without her curls that always flowed around her.

 

“Then I feel like it needs to be said and if you need to talk about what happened on your last mission, when you had to go undercover, I’m here. I don’t plan on going away again for a while.” Tasha tried to break the awkward tension that was growing in the room with a joke and it at least made Deanna’s eyes soften and she saw Deanna relax into her chair just a little.

 

“Not yet.” Deanna said softly, “Another time, but…not yet. Let’s finish this one first.” She glanced up at Tasha, “And then we can go back to the Enterprise and you can get your blonde hair again.” Deanna teased and reached up to push some of the brown hair out of Tasha’s face, “I miss it.”

 

“I miss having a weapon at my side to be prepared.” Tasha complained and did in fact feel a little twitchy and overwhelmed being in enemy territory with only a few choices at her disposal.

 

“If all goes as planned and we get the information we need you won’t be needing it.” Deanna said and then broke off into a yawn. Tasha got up to order soup for them at the replicators and set a bowl in front of Deanna her murmured her thanks back.

 

“Only a few more days then.” Tasha said and tapped her fingers on the table. The hovel they were staying in was in a poor side of town, as part of their cover, it was a little bit too much like Turkana IV for her to be comfortable. “We’ll be home soon.”

 

As Deanna cleaned up Tasha walked by her and drew her into a hug, neither of them said a word or had to and that night in the single bed they shared Deanna’s hand found Tasha’s and she held it tight.

 

~~

 

Tasha watched the next morning as Deanna became the disgraced sub commander once again during their walk around town. Whispers followed them but neither took note as they played their roles. In order to get information on a faction of Romulans who didn’t want peace with the Federation they had to act like they were angry towards any situation around them.

 

Deanna’s background was of a sub-commander who’d been forced out of government because of their violent arguments against the Federation and demands for war. Tasha’s was of her bodyguard turned lover who followed her sub-commander when into disgrace. It meant they could whisper in peace without suspicion though that came from people gawking at them anyway.

 

The next few days followed the same pattern, every day they’d walk out and Deanna would talk to people in back allies about how something needed to be done about the Federation. Every night they’d be Deanna and Tasha – wearing masks that just weren’t them and desperate to get home, clutching each other’s hands as their only links back to themselves.

 

“Tonight’s it.” Deanna whispered to Tasha as they walked through the marketplace, “Our only chance.”

 

It felt like they were marching into the lion’s den when they reached the empty streets that night, Tasha straightened her back as she walked behind Deanna, alert for any sign of attack that might come their way.

 

Fortunately none such came, there was yelling and arguments and Tasha watched as Deanna worked through all the emotions and played her part without fail. Her hand drifted towards Deanna without much thought when she momentarily saw the exhaustion that was in Deanna’s eyes and she wanted to think that small effort helped.

 

“Come on,” Tasha pulled Deanna along as the meeting broke up, all the information they could need securely on the recording device that Tasha had hidden inside her cloak.

 

They were almost back to their hovel when it happened and Tasha’s immediate sense of danger saved them, she practically threw Deanna behind her as she whirled to slam an attacker in the chest with her foot. They stumbled back and gave Tasha enough time to uppercut the other attacker, hitting him so hard he was knocked unconscious and then she whirled to face the first attacker again.

 

Deanna beat her to it and had stolen the phaser on the man’s belt, firing only a stunning beam at him.

 

“We need to go,” Deanna said, swallowing hard and dropping the phaser. In tune they raced towards their hovel and Tasha got out the hidden transmitter they had, sending a signal up to the Enterprise who was there for the peace talks.

 

She felt the familiar tingling of the transporter and opened her eyes to the grey and black walls of the engineering room with a sigh of relief.

 

Her memory went fuzzy between their reports to the Captain and then heading to the medbay to get their Romulan disguises off.

 

The turbolift ride to the deck where their quarters was was made in silence and Tasha meant to just drop Deanna off and go but she floundered there, not wanting to leave.

 

“Stay,” Deanna made the decision for her and reached out to take Tasha’s hand, pulling her into her quarters.

 

There they sat huddled on the couch, a cup of hot chocolate in Deanna’s hands as her story spilled out of her last Romulan adventure.

 

“You aren’t alone anymore.” Tasha told her softly when she reached the end and Deanna smiled, setting her cup down and reaching out a hand to thread through Tasha’s hair, now back to its regular blonde.

 

“I know,” Deanna agreed, “I missed you.” It was seven years of correspondence and wanting piled into three words and Tasha couldn’t help but laugh at the simplicity of it.

 

“I missed you too.” She said back and that night when they fell asleep it was holding hands again and yet so much more.


End file.
